System of and apparatus for controlling light effects.



N0. '7|5,702. Patented Dec. 9, I902.

' n. F. SPANGENBERG.

SYSTEM OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING LIGHT EFFECTS.

(Application filed Nov 18, 1901.)

(No Model.) I 4 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 7|5,702. Patented Dec. 9 I902.

R. F. SPANGENBERG.

SYSTEM OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING LIGHT EFFECTS.

(Application filed Nov. 18, 1901.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 7|5,702. Patented Dec. 9, I902.

12. F. SPANGENBERG. SYSTEM OF'AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING LIGHTEFFECTS.

(Application filed Nov. 18, 1901.1

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

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1/9; in cases No. 715,702. Patenied Dec. 9, I902.

a. F. SPANGENBEBG.

SYSTEM OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING LIGHT EFFECTS.

(Application filed Nov. 18, 1901.) (No Modal.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT F. SPANGENBERG, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

SYSTEM OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING LIGHT EFFECTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 715,702, datedDecember 9, 1902. Application filed November 18,1901. Serial No. 82,809.(No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT FERRIDAY SPANGENBERG, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans andState of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSystems of and Apparatus for Gontrolling Light Effects, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improvement in systems of and apparatus forelectrically displaying and changing colored lights upon a theatricalstage or upon a moving body.

The objects of my invention are to provide a method for transmittingelectric rays of light through various-colored plastic, textile, ortransparent material in an automatic manner and causing said rays ofvarious-colored lights to be thrown upon a stage or moving body and tobe changed instantaneously or at will, as may be desired. I attain theseobjects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure l is a longitudinal section. Fig. 2 shows plan view of thetop of my apparatus. Fig. 3 is a reverse View or under part of Fig. 2.Fig. 4 is a transverse section of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side View oftheatrical projecting automatic self-focusing electrical-arc lamp. Fig.6 is a side view of apparatus as supported from balcony of theater. Fig.7 is a front view of color-frames and edge view of rails. Fig. Sis afront View of apparatus in position. Fig. 9 is a front view of. colorsliding frame and rail-groove. Fig. is a front view of switchboard. Fig.11 is a view of electrical connections from the switchboard toapparatus.

Similar letters and numerals refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

In constructing my apparatus I provide a cabinet of the constructionshown in Fig. 8. Placed upon its top plane is an electric motor 1, whichfurnishes the power for imparting motion to my apparatus.

2 is a wormscrew on armature-shaft of motor and which rests on aworm-wheel (not shown) upon shaft 3. This construction obviates thenecessity of a belt and overcomes friction to a great extent.

4 designates shaft-bearings.

5 designates pulleys upon shaft 3, the face of pulleys being smooth,with flanges on each side, being thus constructed so that clutches 6 canreadily engage same when it is desired to shift the clutches.

7 designates clutch-lever pivots.

8 shows arms or levers of clutches.

9 is the magnet-armature.

10 designates magnets.

11 designates a latch for pin of color-slides.

12 is a pivot for latch.

13 is a rest or stop for latch-pin.

14 designates openings in bed plate for color-slide pin.

15 is a metal bed-plate.

16 designates grooved pulleys or idlers placed upon shaft 17 and uponwhich cords are placed which raise and lower slides.

13 shows position of rails upon which colorslides travel, as seen inFig. 3, and an edge view of rail is also shown in Fig. 7, and in samefigure the letters-A, B, C, and D show front View of slides, each letterindicating a slide of a different color, and E showing an edge view ofslide-frame.

The faces of my slides are made, preferably, of various-colored sheetsof gelatin or isinglass; but they may be constructed of any transparentmaterial, such as colored glass or silk.

19 designates springs for short-circuiting.

20 designates openings for color-slide pins in Fig. 3 and form the underportion of openings let in Fig. 2.

21 is the top frame of my apparatus.

22 shows a spring for clutch-lever 8.

23 is a pillar for supporting arm or lever 8.

24 shows collars on shaft 3.

Placed at 25 is a worm-screw bearing.

26 shows oil-openings.

27 shows bearings of idler-shaft.

28 in Fig. 4 shows rod which operates latch 11.

29 designates rods for operating clutch-lever.

30 shows a contact for spring 19 to shortcircuit magnets.

31 shows front and rear of the cabinet for color-slides.

32 shows the position of color-slide with the hollow base oflatching-pin 33, with springs of latching-pin, as shown by 34, also head35 on latching-pin to regulate extension of pin through opening 14 inmetal bed-plate 15. The color-slide latching-pin 36 is provided with anotch 37, into which latch 11 is thrown automatically. v

38 is an arm which depresses short-circuiting spring 19.

39 is an opening in my apparatus for transmitting light.

40 shows lead-wires from electric-light mains.

41 is a fusible switch.

42 is one leg of electric circuit from fusible switch to switchboard.

43 is a switch-controlling arc-lamp circuit; 44, switches controllingmagnet-circuits to operate color-slides.

45 is a rheostat placed upon switchboard to control motor.

46 shows stained incandescent lamps to correspond with similar color inapparatus and as a means of resistance in magnet-circuits and toindicate whether the same is working.

47 is one leg of electric circuit from fuseblock to apparatus supplyingmagnets, motor, and arc-light.

48 is a wire which completes circuit from switch to magnets and haslamps 46in circuit.

49 shows wire that completes circuit from switch to arc-light.

50 shows resistancecoil in arc-lamp circuit.

51 is a wire which completes circuit from switchboard to motor with 45in circuit.

52 designates an arc-lamp.

It will thus be seen by the foregoing construction that the color-slidesare so placed in the cabinet that each slide can be raised as they aredesired by means of electricity, and lowered by their own gravity.

The electric motor 1 drives the shaft 3 by means of a worin-gearing 2,the bearings 4 supporting shaft 3, on which shaft are placed pulleys 5,upon which a cord winds to raise color-slides and are in a fixedposition on shaft. The clutches 6 are upon shaft and are movable, andwhen lever of clutch is thrown engages 5 causing same to rotate.

8 designates arms or levers of clutches, which are pivoted, as shown by7, and operate (3 when electric current is turned on to energize magnets10, which magnets attract armature 9, causing the rods 29 to actuate thearms or levers 8 in the manner desired. Rods 28, moving forward, enablelatch 11 to be thrown over openings 14 in bed-plate and preventlatching-pin 36 passing through opening 14, thus causing springs 34 tobe depressed when arm 38 operates spring 19, causing said spring toshort-circuit magnets 10 by forming contact with contact-point 30,thereby forcing magnets 10 to release armature 9, when clutch-leverspring 22 moves the parts 6, 8, 9, and 11 from their engaged positionand the opening 14 is clear. The latching-pin 36 is then pushed upthrough openspring 34 in position, the clutches 6 being disengaged bythe aforesaid action from the pulleys 5. There is nothing to holdcolor-slide 32 in its position. Hence it tends to drop back into itsnormal place by gravity; but in so doing it brings 33 with it and uponwhich is fastened arm 38, and said arms release springs 19, thusreleasing short-circuit from magnets 10 and permitting the electriccurrent to again energize the magnets 10,which in turn attracts armature9; but as the pin 36 is in the opening 14 the armature 9 is permitted togo only a given distance by means of the latch 11, which enters notch 37of the latching-pin 36, thus holding up the color-slide 32 in activeposition, and as the armature 9 cannot go all the way down it does notagain cause the clutches 6 to engage pulleys 5, thus leaving 5 free.

It will be seen in operating apparatus that to elevate a color aftermain switch 41 has been turned on and motor started by means of rheostat45 close one of the color-slide switches 44,causing electricity to flowthrough circuit 48, thence through lamp 46, causing same to light,indicating by its brightness whether circuit is working, also serving asa means of resistance to magnets 10 to prevent too much current flowingthrough same, thence through magnets 10, energizing them and causingapparatus to work as described. By closing switch 43 and causingelectricity to flow through circuit 49 and through rheostat 50 toarc-lamp 52 which are automatic lights, these lights getting a coloreffect through color mediums A, B, C, and D.

I am aware that it has been proposed to use a disk or color wheel forlight efiects upon a stage; but I disclaim any such invention, as bythis construction only one color can be displayed and only a colorplaced in rotation on a disk or wheel,thus preventing any desiredblending or succession of colors, makingitimpossible to produce aperfect representation of a sunrise, sunset, or the approach orabatement of a storm upon a theatrical stage. Iaccomplish these effectsby usinga color-slide box with top of color-frame so thin that it throwsno shadows when blending or changing colors. The color-slide box is openat the bottom, so as to enable the color-frame to be changed should thisbe required, of which I usually use one dozen to produce desired coloreffects-viz., two shades each of amberred, blue, green, onegreenish-blue, one rosepurple, and one pink, and one hood to screenlight suddenly when dark changes of scene are made on theatrical stagein front of andience without dropping curtain.

The color-frames are provided with cords, which pass over idlers andpulleys. The source of light and color-slide box will be placed outsidethe balcony-rail in the auditorium, thus economizing space and avoidannoyance of operator going to and fro during and between the acts ofthe play.

An advantage of my invention is its economical construction and ease bywhich the same may be operated, saving both time and labor and producinglight effects electrically and correctly.

Having described my invention and the manner in which the same is or maybe carried into operation, would say that I do not limit myself to theprecise details shown in illustration, as the same may be varied to someextent; but

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of aninclosing casing, an electric light mounted therein, a plurality ofcolor-frames slidingly mounted in said casing, cords attached to saidframes, a rotating shaft, winding-drums carrying the ends of said cordsmounted on said shaft, and electromagnetically operated mechanismadapted to throw said drums into action to raise the respective frame.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of aninclosing casing, an electric light mounted therein, a plurality ofcolor-frames slidingly mounted in said case, cords attached to saidframes, a rotating shaft, winding-drums carrying the ends of said cordsmounted on said shaft,electromagnetically-operated mechanism adapted tothrow said drums into action with said shaft to raise their respectivecolor-frames, and mechanism electrically connected to saidelectromagnetically operated mechanism whereby the latter may becontrolled from a distance.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of aninclosing casing, an electric light mounted therein, a plurality ofcolor-slides slidingly mounted in said case, a power-shaft mounted uponsaid casing, winding-drums loosely mounted upon said shaft, cordsconnected to said frames adapted to be wound upon said drums, clutchesinterposed between said shaft and drums, and electromagneticallyoperated mechanism for throwing said clutches into action.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of aninclosing casing, an electric light mounted therein, aplurality ofcolor-frames slidingly mounted in said frame, a rotatable shaft, anelectric motor adapted to drive said shaft, a plurality of winding-drumsloosely mounted on said shaft, cords attached to said frames and adaptedto be wound upon said drum, clutches interposed between said drums andshaft, electromagnetically-operated mechanism adapted to throw said druminto action to raise said color-frames, a switchboard located at adistant point and electrical connections between said-switchboard andsaid light, the motor and said electromagnetically-operated mechanism,whereby the same may be controlled as desired from a distant point.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with acabinet carrying a light, color-frames mounted therein, andelectromagnetically-operated mechanism adapted to bring saidcolor-frames into position as desired; of a switchboard, switchescarried thereby and electrically connected to saidelectromagnetically-operated mechanism, and colored lights in proximityof each of said switches, each of said lights corresponding to thecolored frame adapted to be thrown into position when the circuit isclosed through the corresponding switch.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT F. SPANGENBERG.

Witnesses:

ALPHONSE J. CUNEo, J. B. ROSSER, Jr.

